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The Pax Romana
The Pax Romana (French: Pax Romana) is the seventh episode of Once upon a time... Man. Despite its name, the episode actually takes place in Ancient Rome during the time of Julius Caesar, before the Pax Romana officially began. The previous episode is The Age of Pericles, and the next episode is The Conquests of Islam. Plot In 52 BC, Vercingetorix has been defeated by Julius Caesar at Alesia and therefore must surrender to him. Among the Gallic prisoners are Pierre and Jumbo, with the Pest as a Roman centurion and the Dwarf as a Roman legionary. On the way back to Italy, Caesar dictates his Commentaries on the Gallic War, while the Roman legions sack another Gallic village. Before long, Caesar is at the Rubicon river, which he crosses in the year 49 BC and by which he returns to Rome. In Rome, Caesar organizes some gladiatorial combats in the arena, with Pierre and Jumbo as two of the gladiators. Pest and Dwarf send in a panther, a bear, and a lion for Pierre and Jumbo to fight. Pierre and Jumbo's bravery in fighting the dangerous beasts wins the admiration of Caesar and the crowds, to say nothing of a maidservant named Pierrette. In this episode, Maestro is an architect who organizes the construction of the Roman roads and the building of great architectural marvels. However, although he wants to build an amphitheater and a bathhouse, Centurion Pest demands that Maestro continue building the Roman roads for his legionaries. In addition, Maestro's labor-saving devices prove to be impractical. In spite of these setbacks, the work is proceeding normally, and in 46 BC, Maestro gives Julius Caesar the idea of inventing the Julian calendar. Soon, Pierre and Jumbo notice that a house is on fire. With Jumbo's help, Pierre rushes into the house to save the wife and children of a wealthy Roman citizen named Lucius Sergius, as well as Pierrette, who falls in love with Pierre upon seeing that he has rescued her. Lucius Sergius is so impressed he takes Pierre and Jumbo in as his own servants. The two Gauls are having a pleasant time of it in his villa, where they also carry Lucius Sergius into town in his litter. We soon get to see some highlights of daily life in ancient Rome, such as schooling, trading ships, the bathhouse, and even the communal toilets. By 44 BC, however, Julius Caesar is assassinated by a group of conspirators, including Pest and Brutus. Four decades later, in Bethlehem, a Child is born around the year 1. His name is Jesus, and the narrator reports that His life, death, and resurrection "will have an unparalleled impact on the history of mankind." Historical Inaccuracies *Despite the episode's title, the bulk of the episode actually takes place between 52 BC and 44 BC. The Pax Romana itself officially began in 27 BC under Julius Caesar's nephew and heir Caesar Augustus. *Julius Caesar was murdered by sixty senators, with not one centurion among them. *There is no such thing as the year zero. Strictly speaking, the year 0 should be AD 1, but historically speaking, Jesus may have been born anywhere between 6 BC or 4 BC, the latter year when King Herod the Great died. Appearances Historical Figures *Caius Julius Caesar *Vercingetorix *Marcus Junius Brutus *Jesus Years and Events *52 BC *49 BC *46 BC *AD 1 Locations *Europe **France ***Alesia **Italy ***Rome *Asia **Israel ***Bethlehem Foreign Titles *'Original French:' Pax Romana *'German:' Das Römische Reich *'Italian:' La pax Romana *'Polish:' Cesarstwo rzymskie *'Spanish:' Pax Romana Gallery Category:Man Category:Episodes Category:Ancient Rome Category:Antiquity